Naruto: Starting with Creating a Genius Persona

At this moment, a composed eunuch quietly approached the judges' table and bowed slightly:

"Distinguished judges, His Highness has tasted all the excellent dishes you have presented. His Highness specifically instructed me to convey a message: He greatly admires the 'Whale Wave Jade Bowl.' His Highness said that its flavor is fresh and its concept is novel, possessing a unique and unconventional beauty."

The judges' panel fell silent instantly, their expressions becoming incredibly varied.

They exchanged glances, remained silent for only two or three seconds, and then the president of the culinary association, who was also the chairman of the judging panel, cleared his throat and quickly put on a smile of realization and agreement:

"Your Highness truly possesses discerning eyes and exceptional taste! To be honest, we have just carefully savored and appreciated this Whale Wave Jade, finding it truly ingenious and extraordinary! It infuses traditional umami with an indescribable vibrant life force, making it a pinnacle of both taste and artistic conception!"

"After our in-depth discussion, we believe this dish truly deserves its title, best embodying the inclusive and innovative spirit of our Fire Nation's cuisine!"

He spoke fluently and naturally, without changing his expression, as if the previous controversy had never existed. The other judges around him immediately realized what was going on and nodded in agreement.

"The president is absolutely right!"

"Your Highness's insight is brilliant; it coincides with our own!"

"This dish truly deserves the title of champion!"

The change in the wind was so swift that it drew attention, and soon the jury unanimously passed the resolution.

When the emcee finally announced loudly, "The winner of this year's Land of Fire's Number One Culinary Contest is—Konohagakure, Shinichi Higashino! His work is Whale Wave Jade!"

After a brief moment of astonishment, the audience erupted in enthusiastic applause and cheers.

Seriously? Kid, you actually won the championship?

In the audience, Tsunade's eyes widened again as she watched the student announced as the winner.

Shizune and Kurenai, who were standing to the side, also opened their mouths slightly in surprise.

Kurenai was the first to recover from her surprise, a smile spreading across her face as she said, "Shinichi... truly a genius. Even his cooking is this good."

Tsunade snapped out of her daze and snorted, "That brat, he actually hid it so well... I'll have to make him cook more often in the future, so he can properly show his respect to his teacher."

"Yes, yes, yes!" Shizune immediately nodded in agreement.

Inside the arena, Shinichi's expression remained calm.

His culinary skills were already solid, and the "big eater" label gave him a keen sense of the nuances of food's taste, texture, and cooking time, along with an instinctive intuition that allowed him to create dishes that far exceeded the ordinary.

However, it was still beyond his expectations that these judges, who were clearly biased towards tradition and industry rules, would ultimately break their prejudices and award the championship to him, the ninja.

His original expectation was to break into the top three based on the quality of his cooking and gain enough recognition and attention.

Winning the championship was an unexpected surprise.

At this moment, the host's booming voice rang out again: "Now, please welcome His Highness the Great to present awards to the winners and all the award recipients of this competition!"

Amidst the attention and throngs of the crowd, the daimyo of the Land of Fire slowly walked to the front of the stage, a warm smile on his face, and presented medals and certificates to the winners one by one.

When it was Shinichi's turn, the Daimyo personally handed him the magnificent certificate symbolizing "Special Grade Chef of the Land of Fire." His gaze lingered on Shinichi's face for a moment, his smile deepened, and he said gently:

"Young man, your cooking is excellent and impressive." He paused, then added regretfully, "It's a pity that the Hokage values ​​you so much. Otherwise, even though you are a Konoha ninja, I might have asked the Hokage to let you become my personal chef."

Shinichi accepted the certificate with both hands and bowed slightly: "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. Ninjas serve to protect the Land of Fire and to serve the Daimyo and his people. It is my duty to contribute my strength wherever I am or in whatever way."

That's what he said, but when he saw the supreme ruler of the Land of Fire, his first thought was—when he becomes Hokage, the first thing he will do is to control all the troops in the land!

He brought local forces such as the Fire Temple and the Tsuchigumo, as well as local ninja clans and even the guards of various regions under his control, becoming the supreme military commander in the absolute sense.

Upon hearing this, the Fire Country Daimyo, unaware of the young man's ambition, smiled and said no more. He patted the young man on the shoulder and then turned to the next winner.

The awards ceremony concluded in a lively atmosphere, with the magistrate and a host of high-ranking officials leaving first, and the competition venue gradually transitioning from the formal competition schedule to a more relaxed exchange and celebration session.

"Shinichi-kun! Please wait!"

The host warmly called out to Shinichi, who was about to leave with the crowd, and led him back to the center of the venue.

The host brought the microphone closer, smiling broadly, and asked, "Shinichi-kun, as we all know, besides possessing amazing culinary skills, you are also a highly regarded genius ninja of Konohagakure in the Land of Fire. We are very curious about how you combined these two seemingly disparate things? And what prompted you to choose this path outside of ninja training, and ultimately stand here?"

All eyes were on Shinichi.

Shinichi took the microphone, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke:

"Thank you for the question, host. Regarding ninjas and chefs, in my opinion, they may not be so different."

"Becoming an excellent chef is also my deepest dream. Food is not just energy to sustain life; it also carries memories, warmth, culture, and hope. A meal made with care can soothe a tired body and mind, unite the feelings of family and companions, and even allow people to rediscover the beauty of life and the reasons to fight for it during the most difficult times."

"As a Konoha ninja, my duty is to protect the village and the peace and tranquility of the Land of Fire. This protection is not just about repelling foreign enemies and completing missions. I hope that my protection can be more concrete and closer to everyone's lives."

"With these hands, I can fight and protect everyone from threats. Similarly, I hope that with these hands, I can create more delicious dishes so that the children of the Land of Fire can grow up healthily and that every family can have more happy smiles when they sit around the table."

"This is perhaps another form of protection that I, as a Konoha ninja and a citizen of the Land of Fire, can do."

"Whether you're wielding a knife as a ninja or holding a knife as a chef, the ultimate goal is to make the land we live on a better place, so that the people living in it can feel more happiness and peace of mind."

"This is my answer, and it's the direction I will continue to strive for in the future."

After he finished speaking, there was a moment of silence, followed by spontaneous applause that was even more enthusiastic and even a little touching than before.

These words, though simple and unadorned, cleverly connect personal pursuits with the duties of a ninja and feelings for one's country, making them exceptionally sincere and moving.

In particular, the ninja chef in front of you naturally exudes a comfortable and convincing aura, which makes people unconsciously feel good about you.

Many viewers' gazes toward Shinichi have shifted from mere admiration for the champion to a deeper sense of recognition and respect.

In the audience, Tsunade clicked her tongue softly and said to the two girls beside her, "Listen to this kid's pretty words, he's getting better and better at it."

Shizune and Kurenai looked at their companion, who remained calm and composed amidst the applause and admiration, their eyes shining with admiration.

Meanwhile, Shinichi, after finishing his emotional speech and handing the microphone back to the host, maintained a humble and polite smile and greeted those around him.

But deep within his consciousness, a feeling far more real than the cheers in the stadium was stirring within him.

The words representing the "Big Eater (Green)" entry were shattered and crumbled the next moment.

A pure and deep azure light suddenly burst forth, like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon.

[Gourmet (Blue): Your understanding of food has moved beyond mere taste pleasure and energy replenishment; it has delved into the microscopic realm of the interaction between matter and life. You can almost instinctively perceive the subtle biochemical reactions produced by the combination of molecules in different ingredients, predict the evolution of their flavor profiles, and more accurately grasp the nourishing and impacting effects they have on muscles, meridians, organs, spirit, and even chakra after entering the human body.]